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Inouye’s detractors, especially within his own party, are very careful in what they say, knowing that Inouye is unlikely to forget a slight and is in a position to seek vengeance.

“Danny is a very nice man, but he’s never going to die of overwork,” said a senior Senate Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “He says ‘yes’ to everybody. You might not get it, but he’ll get what he wants for Hawaii.”

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said Inouye’s Teflon status comes in part from his role as Appropriations chairman. That gavel gives him enormous sway over senators from both parties who need his support to get their pet projects into must-pass spending bills.

“It’s the appropriations system, that’s not just the appropriators. It’s all the people who want earmarks,” DeMint said. “The whole system now is the senior members are appropriators, and everyone has to go to them for earmarks and committee assignments.”

This isn’t the first time that Inouye has bucked his own party, or even the prevailing national mood, and suffered few, if any, consequences.

Under pressure from Republicans and the tea party movement over soaring federal deficits, House Democrats came up with a proposal to ban spending earmarks benefiting for-profit companies.

But Inouye refused to go along with his House counterparts.

“If you speak of spending, [earmarks are] less than 1 percent of the [federal] budget; it’s transparent, we have to report this. If we don’t do this, who’s going to do it?” Inouye asked. “I always maintained that when I got elected, I don’t think the people of Hawaii expect me to be a rubber stamp for any president.”

Inouye was famous for his relationship with former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). In fall 2008, Inouye threw a fundraiser for Stevens, a longtime friend and fellow World War II veteran, and he donated $10,000 to him out of his leadership PAC — just as Democrats were working overtime in Alaska to defeat Stevens’s reelection bid. Inouye even appeared as a character witness at Stevens’s 2008 corruption trial.

The fallout for Inouye over backing Stevens? He was given the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, replacing another longtime friend, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), who was no longer considered physically up to the job.

Readers' Comments (29)

Uh Oh! One of the natives is straying off the plantation. As much as I dislike this guy, it's apparent that he has at least read the constitution - even if he hasn't read any of those socialist bills he's been voting on.

Fact of the matter is, this is a representative democracy - not a dictatorship. The governmet is supposed to be controlled from the bottom up, not from the top down. Inouye at grasps this point even if the rest of the socialist party doesn't.

what kind of reporting is this? The Republican won this race because of the jungle special election rules where the Democrats split the votes but received 58% of the total while the Republican got less than 40% .... and Inouye's endorsed candidate Hanabusa got more votes than the Washington DCCC, Pelosi, etc endorsed Democratic candidate Case. Maybe if National Democrats had sought to push Case out instead of dropping all these signals to try and force Hanabusa out, then the Democrats could have come together under one candidate.

I love how both parties' Washington power brokers are so powerless this year. The Dems will win this seat back for sure in November, but this is a good thing in the short term. Same with Cao's seat in LA, which will certainly switch back. Mr. Freezer needed to get his corrupt behind voted out.

Inouye had it right, Hanabusa did better than Case. DCCC had it wrong - again, and we're sick of it. The DCCC took $150k from Inouye, then ignored his pick? How arrogant!

I won't give the DCCC or DSCC, or for that matter the DNC, a dime. They pick lousy candidates, stick with incumbents because they raise lots of $, not because voters want them back. The seniority system in the Senate and House is pathetic, and they only keep it to justify their return, term after term after term - while we lose jobs overseas, lost unions that protect seniority. They - all of them, including Republicans - are like union folk in demanding their benefits, including our payment of 85% of cost for their top-notch health insurance, and lifetime pensions and benefits, but job protections for us? Never.

Leadership in both parties is corrupt and unresponsive to the core. Their tactics and messaging don't work anymore. We have our own ways to connect with each other now.

They'd better start respecting the people who make the calls and knock on doors for them. Hanabusa in November!

Wait until the big upset comes in CA! The Dems. ain't seen nothing yet! Americans are waking up and smelling the coffee. We don't want what the leftist brigade is shoving down our throats and we ain't going to take it. Let Freedom Ring and God Bless America!

While I have been very aggressive in the need to replace House Appropriation Committee Chair Obey, (and I have to treat Hawaii like everyone else when an election is lost), Mr. Inouye does an amazing job (and a fair one) in his role. He is sharp as a pistol, and is one person you know not to mess with, not because of fear of reprisal or retaliation, because, 1) he knows his stuff 2) he is willing to reach across the aisle to do what is right for his country and his constituents 3) As an established member of Congress, he does not have to put in Face time -- he knows what he is doing, and how to get the most efficient and expedient response. There are long hours because you are new, or learning something new, and there are long hours becasue you are inefficient, lacking, doing personal business at work, and just completely useless.

Case is telling us he will run in November. Hanabusa is telling us she will run in November. Enough people in the district like Djou to give him a clear majority in November, unless he blows it between now an then.

The Demoncraps preferred the doublecrossing blue dog schlock Case instead of the more popular Hanabusa. On top of that, she is an Asian woman. Theres no loss to backing her there. You reap what you sow.

But most importantly, this shows what a sham of a democracy/republic we have. You can win with 61% of the voters against you. Thats not democracy at all.

Looks as if the November election will be fought out in the Democratic primary. It looks as if Hanabusa will have the edge, both in numbers and in monetary support. All that Djou has to do is vote with the republicans a few time to assure he will be slaughtered at the polls in November.

Its pretty clear that Senator Inouye was able to ride out the teacup tempest fired up by Politico. Just think if all that effort had went instead into solving some environmental problems, we would all be better off.

That is Democracy at its' finest....you're just angry that the stupidity of Inouye and the Party cost you a seat...deal with it. I think Inouye refused to back Case out of blind loyalty to Sen. Akaka, the man who pushed legislation to give Inouye the Medal of Honor, 45 years after the fact. The DSC was good enough.